Sightseeing in the United Arab Emirates

Overview

For much of its existence, the United Arab Emirates was a dry harsh desert where Bedouins lived in tents on the sand dunes, with little contact with the outside world.  Pictures of the country from even 40 years ago reveal how greatly the landscape has changed.  Most current attractions in this country are manmade, and the UAE has invested a considerable number of its petrol dollars into developing tourism, especially in the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which are also confirmed medical tourism hubs. 

Abu Dhabi

Consider this – the oldest building in this city is just over 30 years old.  That’s how fast the city has emerged from a barren village to an ultra modern city, dotted with skyscrapers.  Abu Dhabi doesn't really have a lot of the traditional Bedouin culture, and if you're looking to seek out slivers of Arab history on your medical tourism vacation, this is really not the place.  The main attraction here is the white Al Hosn Palace, earlier the residence of the royal family, and today, a museum that displays artifacts from the past as well as photographs depicting the young history of the city.

For a look at Bedouin life, albeit in an artificial setting, visit the Heritage Village, where a reconstruction of a traditional community, complete with tents and irrigation systems. 

Dubai

There's no city quite like Dubai anywhere in the Middle East, or anywhere in Asia for that matter.  The city is in the throes of frenetic tourism development, with the result that there is a never ending array of new attractions for the medical tourism traveler.  Whether or not you agree with the arrogant displays of wealth in the towering hotels and skyscrapers, each bigger than the next, you have to be impressed with the way in which the city's administration is developing another Vegas in the desert.  

The Burj al Arab, the sail shaped hotel on the water, was once the tallest building in the world and is now one of the city's biggest tourist sights.  One of the attractions currently being built is Snowdome, which is billed as the third largest indoor ski resort in the world.  There is a $1 billion 500,000 square feet (46,000 sq m) Jurassic theme park called Restless Planet, also under construction.  If all that wild construction activity wasn’t enough, the city is all set to roll out the world's tallest building – yet again – the Burj al Dubai in 2010.